Children of the revolution

Why is it that society, in general, feels the need to compartmentalize everyone into sub-genres of cliques or groups or whatever else they can come up with? I've categorized myself as a lot of things, but if I had to, I don't think I could choose just 'one'.

Using music as an example, sometimes I feel like people make up ways to describe music so they can sound smarter, and thus inflate their position in society. For example, some of the "sub-genres" of "indie rock" are: garage punk, emo, post-punk revival, noise pop, dance-punk, baroque pop, garage rock revival, indie pop, indie dance, indie folk, lo-fi, dream pop, electronic, electronica, electropop, ad nauseam.

Now, I am probably guilty of this, but I am a music snob. I love music, I always have, and without it I would probably die (seriously). I admit that I like 95% of the music genres out there, minus some of the crappy mainstream music and some classical (I like it but I just can't listen to it for long). So where does this leave me?

Country

I admit it, along with old 'real' country, I like some of the mainstream stuff, too. I like to wear cowboy boots, drive trucks and work on farms. 

• Hank Williams, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, and Patsy Cline right next to my Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney.

Classic Rock/Oldies

Ah, my roots. My dad raised his daughter right, and exposed me to everything he ever had on vinyl that would still play. He used to play 'House of the Rising Sun' on his guitar for me, even though I had no idea what the song really meant at the time.  

• Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, The Ramones, Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Velvet Underground, The Who, ZZ Top, and this list goes on for far too long.

Indie Rock/electronica/indie folk/dance pop

Yes, I still have days where I let my tattoos hang out, wear cut off shorts with converse and indie-fy myself to run with the masses of hipsters that plague this town. This list is probably even longer than the rest put together, since there are so many new bands playing various types of music that are influenced by each other, like some sort of incestuous orgy that results in multiple eargasms (in some cases). 

• Lykke Li, Blitzen Trapper, American Analog Set, Chris Thile, Iron Horse, Broken Bells, The XX, Sea Wolf, Grizzly Bear, The Knife, Metric, Rogue Wave, The Shins, Handsome Furs, etc etc.

Blues/Jazz/Motown

This genre is why I feel like I was born in the wrong generation sometimes. I probably would have been the skinny white girl getting into trouble for hanging out with these people before the civil rights movement.

• B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton, Al Green, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane.

Hip-hop/rap

I can actually rap pretty well for being a girl-no free styling, mind you. I love the passion and feeling that emanates from some of the songs from these artists. Lots of people write off this genre because they think it's all ballers with chains and huge bling and 22's with no talent rapping about homeboys, hoes and chicken. It's not. Some of it is, but some of it is actually good.

• Beastie Boys,  Kid Cudi, Rahzel, Kanye West, Eminem, Afroman, Danger Mouse, Geto Boyz, Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dog, Mannie Fresh, B.I.G., A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan, 2Pac.

So I guess this makes me a hipster-pimpin'-jazzy-dead head-redneck that loves all music equally. Where this leaves me in society's eyes, I don't know, and I really don't care.

For a semi-complete listing of my music tastes, please visit my last.fm page. I have over 1700 artists on my iTunes, so some of it isn't on there, but you get the idea.